TSS Investigates - DIY Botox

If anyone knows that value of a dollar, it’s me! I’m a coupon-clipping, rewards card-holding, price comparing and negotiating, black Friday shopping maniac! But one sacrifice I would never make – putting my health in danger just to save a few bucks. In my eyes, it’s just not worth it.

I came across an article the other day from the Lincoln Journal Star reporting on a burglary at a plastic surgeon’s office. It was your typical, everyday robbery – “…stolen items included a flatscreen TV, a laptop computer, two digital cameras and cash…” and “…six boxes of botulinum toxin type A,” AKA Botox! Wait a second, did I read that correctly? They stole $3,150 worth of Botox? What would two of Lincoln’s finest do with Botox vials?

“Well you know people are illegally selling Botox on the internet now?” Kristy later informed me. That sparked my interest – and I immediately started my search to find Botox for purchase online – without a prescription & without an MD at the end of my name.

I discovered a fantastic article by Lorraine Fisher from the Dailymail.com, with, what I think, is quite a show-stopping title “Poison-by-post.com : The terrifying new trend that could paralyze, blind or even kill you.” I mean if that doesn’t scare you, what would?

Lorraine did all the leg work for me – she researched sites online where you can purchase Botox and actually bought some. It seemed so easy - she simply searched “buy botox”, a website appeared, she selected three vials and headed to the online check-out. The Botox soon arrived, without any instructions on how to transform this gel-like substance into the liquid Botox we all see when at our physician’s office. (In case you aren’t aware, Botox is actually shipped in solid form and the physician combines that with sodium chloride before injecting a patient).

This might seem all fine and dandy up to this point – but let’s just bring to light some of the more “shady” things Lorraine ran into during her purchasing experience. The first, and most obvious red light is the fact that you can only pay with Western Union or Moneygram transfers. And even further, the money was to be sent to some lady with a fake name in Chisinau, Moldova. If Western Union asked you what the money was for, you were told to lie and tell them the money is “…for your relatives or for a friend in need.” Lastly, another little known fact about Botox is that it must be kept cold – in fact it’s packed and shipped in dry ice when sent to our office from Allergan. But was Lorraine’s illegitimate botox packed in ice? Nope, it was sent in a plain old envelope, so after all that, if by some miracle the product she received was really Botox, by the time it got to her, it wasn’t good anymore.

As I read through more articles, what seemed to interest me the most was not the physicians’ opinions on DIY Botox but instead the comments left by the public about the subject. Comments ranged from one end to the other; from citizens concerned for those who would take such a drastic step just to save a few bucks; to comments defending these online illegal drug stores; to those who think we should just all mind our own business and let people do as they please. I even saw a post from a past employee of one of these websites claiming her innocence of the whole situation.

I'm not trying to make up anyone's mind about this - after all, from what I've read, this seems to be quite a touchy subject - but I just don't see how risking your life is worth saving some money. Like any prescription you receive, there are possible side effects of Botox, side effects that are hightened when you aren’t fully trained to be dispensing the drug.

Allergan (makers of Botox) suggest seeing "dermatologists, plastic surgeons, ophthalmologists, otolaryngologists (ear, nose, and throat doctors), or other physicians specializing in cosmetic procedures [because they] are generally more experienced." On the Botox website doctors are listed for your convenience based on zip code so you can be sure you are seeing a trained, experienced physician.

So why take the risk?

References:

"Poison-by-Post.com: The terrifying new trend that could paralyse, blind or even kill you" http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1178137/Poison-post-com-The-terrifying-new-trend-paralyse-blind-kill-you.html
"DIY Botox: Site Offers Injectable Drug Without Prescription - With How-To Video" http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/10/botox-without-prescription/
Botox Cosmetic Official Website: http://www.botoxcosmetic.com/index.aspx

2nd Annual Education Event and Raffle on May 8!

Get informed on how to improve and maintain your skin. Educational forums presented at Timeless Skin Solutions to include makeovers from head to toe, get your car detailed at the same time and makeover your body with a Boot Camp by Fitness Edge. Come on Friday, May 8, 10am- 1pm to win the following fabulous prizes and learn more about good health.
Look Flawless on the Fairways Event
with Timeless Skin Solutions
this Friday, May 8, from 10am - 1pm

Makeover your skin, body, hair and car! Over $10,000 including in Raffle Giveaway!

Grand Prize Giveaway includes:

Timeless Skin Solutions
. Up to $4000 in laser services on one body area of your choice
. 80 units of Botox
. 2 syringes of dermal filler
. Skin care products specific to your skin care needs

Fitness Edge Training - 3 day boot camp

Hair Resources - $200 hair make over

Park Detailing - Executive Car Detail, a dealership oil change and a
full tank of gas!


At least 12 other gift baskets will be given away during the event
including:
. Botox and Juvederm
. Latisse
. SkinMedica products
. Clarisonic Brush
. Full Obagi Kit
. NIA24 products
. Fitness Edge 3 day boot camps
. Express Car detailing
. Complements Interiors
. Recipe Express Catering

Save 10 percent on appointments and products purchased at the event!

RSVP www.timelessskinsolutions.com or 614-799-5100.

*must be present to win

31 South High Street, Dublin, OH
See www.timelessskinsolutions.com for more information and parking
details.

Wondering What to Get Your Bridesmaids?

Skin Deep
It’s Botox for You, Dear Bridesmaids

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/fashion/24skin.html?scp=5&sq=&st=nyt


By ABBY ELLIN
Published: July 24, 2008, The New York Times

AFTER the band was chosen and the napkins color-coordinated to match her shoes, Kacey Knauer, a bride-to-be, had another critical matter to address: her skin, and the skin of the nine women in her bridal party.

So Ms. Knauer, the 35-year-old owner of TempTrends, a staffing agency in Manhattan, invited her nearest and dearest — including her mother and future mother-in-law — for a night out at the TriBeCa MedSpa, replete with mimosas and cupcakes. An aesthetician assessed each woman’s face and devised a treatment plan — a quick chemical peel, say, or an injection of a wrinkle-filler. Or maybe, for a bridesmaid with age spots, a series of Fraxel laser treatments over months, allowing for recovery time.

For Ms. Knauer, who will be married in December, cosmetic interventions for herself and her entourage are as vital as the centerpieces or food. “If I were 25 or 26 and getting married, a bracelet, necklace or matching earrings would be fine,” she said.

But at 35? “Giving them a bracelet isn’t as special as spending an evening together. Plus, as you get older, everyone is more conscientious about their skin and appearance,” she said. “Giving them something for themselves — as opposed to something that they’ll never wear again — is more meaningful.”

And let’s not forget the pictures of college roommates-turned-bridesmaids quickly posted to Facebook. It is no longer sufficient to hire a hairstylist and makeup artist to be on hand the day of. Instead, bridal parties are indulging in dermal fillers and tooth-whitening months before the Big Day.

Some brides pick up the tab for their attendants, replacing the pillbox inscribed with the wedding date with a well-earned squirt between the eyes. In other cases, bridesmaids — who may quietly seethe about unflattering dresses — are surprisingly willing to pay for cosmetic enhancements. “Most women, when they come in here, they want it,” said Camille Meyer, the owner of TriBeCa MedSpa. “They know they’re aging.”

For Karen Hohenstein, who held her party at the Tiffani Kim Institute Medical Wellness Spa in Chicago, convincing her friends was as smooth as a Botoxed forehead. “It wasn’t me saying, ‘Hey, we all could use a little something,’ ” she said. “It was, ‘I want to do this,’ and a couple of people said, ‘I do, too.’ ”

But for every accommodating pal, there’s another who feels going under the knife is beyond the duty of bridesmaid. Becky Lee, 39, a Manhattan photographer, declined when a friend asked her — and five other attendants — to have their breasts enhanced. “We’re all Asian and didn’t have a whole lot of cleavage, and she found a doctor in L.A. who was willing to do four for the price of two,” said Ms. Lee, who wore a push-up bra instead.

Not for nothing are some maids known as slaves of honor, but this kind of cajoling is a recent development on the wedding front.

Marie Scalogna-Watkinson, the founder of Spa Chicks on-the-Go, a mobile spa, said she receives five to seven calls a month from brides seeking Botox or Restylane for their bridesmaids. Five years ago, collective makeovers were unheard of, she said.

Dr. Fardad Forouzanpour, a cosmetic surgeon in Beverly Hills, Calif., said his business has increased more than 40 percent since he began offering what he calls Bridal Beauty Buffets in 2006.

In the last two years, bridal party tuneups have increased roughly 25 percent, estimated Susie Ellis, the president of SpaFinder.com, a site that lists 4,500 spas worldwide.

Just as timing matters when it comes to securing a hall, it’s best that brides-to-be don’t delay scheduling appointments, aestheticians and doctors say. “You wouldn’t get a cut and color the week before,” said Dr. Jessica Wu, a dermatologist in Beverly Hills who advises coming in three to six months before the big day. “We do a trial run of Botox about four months ahead of time. Then, two weeks before the wedding, we do that last treatment.”

Ms. Meyer of TriBeCa MedSpa suggests that a bride contact her the minute the question is popped. “Brides really appreciate the fact that we put everything in a regimented schedule for them,” she said. Since February 2007, she has staged more than 30 bridesmaid parties and has 18 planned so far this year. “If you have to do eight treatments, six weeks apart, that could take up to a year,” she said.

Fraxel laser could also set you back $1,200 a session, which even without the economic downturn, amounts to quite a bit. These days, Robyn Bomar, an event planner in Destin, Fla., overhears brides doing cost-benefit analyses. “They will never choose Botox over a great dress, but they will say ‘Maybe I’ll have a buffet over a sit-down at the rehearsal dinner,’ ” she said. Or: “I’ll spend the money on Botox rather than lunch.’ ”

Recent Article About Botox

An article was brought to my attention yesterday about the FDA looking into adverse reactions to Botox and Botox Cosmetic that have been blamed for hospitalizations and even deaths -- mostly in children treated for cerebral palsy-associated limb spasticity, an off-label usage.

The FDA does a wonderful job of providing a feedback mechanism for unusual events, as evidenced by the recent press with Botox. Please know these adverse events were in low body weight (usually very young children) with severe major muscle spasticity. Large doses, in ranges far above what is used cosmetically, were used in these children. Botox is still considered a safe and effective treatment for facial muscle relaxation. Botox is delivered for these indications in small doses for small muscles. Botox is a medical procedure and should be treated as such. While the risk profile remains low, it is not advisable to receive Botox from a professional who considers the administration of Botox “a party”.